Three-dimensional sign letter



F 5, 1952 M. E. BRAUN, SR I 2,584,253

THREE-DIMENSIONAL SIGN LETTER Filed March 3, 1948 Mood/ E. Braun, 5r.

-JNVENTOR.

BY @Q Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED- *sJTATgs' TNT OFFICE Q I 2,' ss4,25s-

THREE-DIMENSIONAL SIGN LETTER, Moodie E. Braun,' SrL, Phoenix, Aria, assignor,

by direct and mesne assignments, "of thirtythree and one-third per cent to Suzanne Braun,

Phoenix, .Ariz., and thirty-three and one-third per e to Ru h T, F tt 'Application Mar h 3, 1 4.8, Serial No- 12,146

The present invention relates to improved day and night indicia such as letters, numerals and equivalent characters used in constructing illuminable advertising and equivalent signs.

More specifically the invention has to do with novel two-part letters, each letter made up of a foundational plate and a superimposed coacting component, both parts having'the same shape, the border of one part, the foundational member being opaque, the central area being transparent, and the coactin partof the letter also being transparent and sufiicientlyheavy in proportions and cross section to provide the embossed effect. r I

An additional object is'to providea sign having the stated letters which coordinate in providing good legibility from distantpointsand superior to neon. signslbut. having equal brightness and brilliant luminosity.

It is also an object to provide a sign which while simpler than neon signs is also advantageous from an economicalpointof view in that there is no danger of tube breakage, gas leakage, fatal accidents from high tension voltage and other electrical difficulties.-

Finally, it is a worthy object to provide a sign which is more in the mechanical than the electrical field and which is substantially free from expensive servicing in rainy and inclement weather and which is free of flickering and likelihood of development of short circuits. The letters are individual, stand out, and are therefore clearly discernible and are not attended byconilicting electric light" rays which, in neon signs, are referred to as bend-backs, crosseove'rs and other difilculties. 1

Other objects and'advantag','s.will become more readilyapparent from un ons ng description in the accompanying illustrative drawingsl Figure 1 is a perspective view of a finished letter constructed in accordance with this invention and adapted to be utilized in making up a sign which is readily readable both day and night;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showingone of the components or parts of the letter inverted;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the letter with the principal components separated from each other;

Figure 4 is a face or front elevational view of an illuminable lamp box, or equivalent casing and source of light, equipped with my improved composite letters;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fi ure 4;

legal. (o1. inens) Figurefi is a view like Figure '5 showing a slight modification,

In Figure -1 it will be seen that the letter is composite and is preferably made up of two companion parts; namely a foundational base 5 and a complemental raised or embossed component, the letter proper/6. In the drawings said letter 6 takes the for-in of the alphabetical character T but it is obvious that the configuration or outline maytake' the form and represent any other letter, numeral figure or symbol. In any event, the base 5 is preferably a relatively thin but 'rigid sheet of plastic or equivalent material and is primarily opaque. The display face of said part is denoted by the numeral 1, this being the surface which faces outwardly when the "e'tter is in, on, or otherwise attached to the sign box. In Figure 2 the inner or reverse side of the foundation member '6 is shown 'as having a marginally painted opaque portion 8 and a transparent central portion 9. To provide the results seen in Figure 2, I simply take a T -shaped piece of masking tape; (not-shown), place same centrally so that its marginal edges are spaced from the marginal edges of the plastic plate. Then, I paint over the entire surface, including the masking tape, and allow the tape to dry. The paint is preferably an opaque substance so that when the masking tape is stripped off, the marginal edges are non-transparent; whereas the median portions form a transparent sight representing the letter T. Next, I turn the thus prepared foundation member of Figure 2 upside down so that the face side is then up as seen in Figure 3; I then fasten the raised letter 6 on the surface 1, using glue or some other adhesion product. I make sure that the letter =6, registers'exactly with the T-shaped sight "5 m the foundational member. It follows therefore that the paint surrounding the edges of the letter makes it appear that the raised letter is edged in white, assuming that the paint is white. By edging and bordering the transparent raised letter with paint or the like, the aforementioned three-dimensional efiect is had. Also, the edging portions of the foundation member 5 serves as attaching flanges and serve to permit the entire letter, made up of parts 5 and 6, to be fastened either inside or outside of a lamp box and in alignment with the front panel or wall of said lamp box. The latter may be of any suitable construction and the face may be stenciled with the letters corresponding to the fill-in letters which I have perfected. Then, my letters are located and appropriately fastened in place with the result that the embossed letter projects beyond the surfaces of the plate 5 and lamp box wall II to produce the desired results. In the daytime by using the thick and raised letter 5 and the surrounding opaque border, it will be seen that the letter as a whole can be made up of both painted and transparent portions, can be readily discerned because of the bordered delineation and also because of the tendency of the letter 6 to appear in relief. At night time the results are just as effective in that the light, the artificial light in the box, shines through the sight 9 and also through the transparent raised letter 6 giving a result which resembles that attained from a so-oalled neon sign. It is to be further pointed out that the underside of the transparent area 9 in Figure 2 is highly polished. The opposite surface I seen in Figure 3 is polished at the center to register with the area 9 and the marginal edges beyond this are sanded, if desired, so as to efiectively diffuse the light rays. which are emitted from the marginal-edges. of the glass or. equivalent letter 6, whereby to insure more efiicient refiective results during night use.

Not only does the relative outstanding thickness of the letter 6 provide the wanted raised letter or embossed effect, especially in the daytime, but other advantages are derived therefrom. In this connection it will be evident, for the most part, the foundation member and letter 6 are both to be made, by preference, from suitable commercial plastics. One of the characteristicsof these materials is that the light rays transmitted therethrough are also bent and caused to project through marginal edge portions of the material. It follows that the principal light rays pass directly through the T-shaped sight 9 and the complemental portions of the raised letter 6. However, and at the same time, there is a fringe lighting effect due to the fact that the light rays also issue noticeably through the marginal edge portions of the raised letter and when thus brought to view against the nontransparent background I, desired scintillating and effective beaming of light rays, some direct and other indirect, provide the desired halo around the perimeter of the raised letter.

- Reference being had to Figure 5, it will be seen that this figure shows how the marginal edge of 5 the base member is glued or otherwise fastened to the inside of the front wall or panel of the box. This'is one way of assembling the parts. In Figure 6 we see the same arrangement except that the foundational plate or base is riveted or otherwise fastened as at the points I2 to the marginal edge portions of the apertured plate for wall II. It follows that the invention may 4 be mounted either interiorly or exterlorly as desired.

Using hot or cold cathode fluorescent lights or equivalent devices as the lighting source, the desired illuminated lighting effects are assured.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed. c

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A composite sign letter for use in connection with an illuminable lamp box, said letter comprising a relatively thin fiat piece of material uniform in cross-section and marginally delineated to represent a predetermined alphabetical letter, the central region of said piece of material being transparent and of an outline corresponding to that of said piece of material and providing a sight for unobstructed passage of light rays, the marginal portions of the material projecting beyond and circumscribing said sight being opaque to intercept and block the passage of light rays therethrough, and a relatively thick component piece of transparent material smaller but corresponding in shape to the first-named piece of material, said thick piece being rectangular in cross-section superimposed upon saidthin piece and secured thereto and lined up and registering with and covering saic sight, the opaque portions of said first-named piece o'f'material projecting sufficiently iar be yond the marginal edge portions of said thick piece ofmaterial to function as flanges which are adapted to be attached to a given portion of the stated lamp box.

MoomE E: BRAUN. SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 846,970 Zimmerman Mar. 12, 1907 906,959 Sternberg Dec. 15, 1908 1,085,530 Bock Jan. 27, 1914 1,179,081 Denne Apr. 11, 1916 1,189,461 McNeal July 4, 1916 1,349,670 Holmes Aug. 17, 1920 1,734,736 Lotz Nov. 5, 1929 1,798,483 Moore Mar. 31, 1931 1,894,240 Newman Jan. 10, 1933 2,005,757 Scott June 25, 1935 2,126,971 Osbrink Aug. 16, 1938 2,276,475 Feist et al. Mar. 17, 1942 

